In the land of smiles: Thailand

NORTHERN THAILAND: SUKHOTHAI

We have been to Thailand several times in previous years and each time we were particularly impressed by the friendliness of the people and the beauty of the country.

We chose Sukhothai in northern Thailand because Peter had been here on his world trip 9 years ago and he was totally impressed by it back then. The city is considered the 'cradle' of Thailand, as the Thai script was developed here in the 13th century and Buddhism was introduced. I was very curious! After the mostly rainy weeks, we also hoped for some better weather and that's exactly what we got.

We stayed in the old part of Sukhothai, in a very nice hotel where we immediately felt at home. When you are constantly on the road for a long time and always move on after a few days, you really appreciate it when you feel a bit 'at home' somewhere right away. We were even provided with bicycles for free, and what could be better than exploring the area this way! Similar to Bagan, there are many ancient temples (ruins) called "Wat" spread over a very large area of about 70km2.

There are also great bike paths amidst beautiful nature. We also love to bike in Vienna and we covered countless kilometers here with great pleasure.

Most of the temple ruins are located in the historical park in the old part of the city.

Thailand is known for its countless snakes. However, we only saw a "fresh" snake skin from a not too small specimen on one of the ruins;).

There is a lot to see here not only during the day, but also in the evening when the Wats are illuminated and various food stalls are set up in the park offering delicious food for every taste.

Thai people love karaoke and dancing. All visitors are encouraged to join in, but I didn't want to subject anyone to my singing;). Interestingly, even untalented singers are respected here. No one is laughed at, no matter how talentless they may be;)...

After a short introduction to Thai dance by a graceful dance instructor, we joyfully danced in the park, mainly attracting women.

There are plenty of nice restaurants and Thai cuisine is already one of our favorites.

My favorite dessert here: Mango Sticky Rice, of course!

Colorful lychees not only look great, they also taste great!

After eleven wonderful days here, we headed to Phitsanulok and flew from there to Krabi, because our next destination is a small island south of Krabi, namely Koh Jum.